Impersonator of Ukrainian Prime Minister Had a '10-Minute Video Call' with UK Defense Secretary

Sent Sensitive Questions on UK Warship Deployment and Ukraine Nuclear Armament
Minister Ben Wallace "Hung Up, Found It Suspicious"

Ben Wallace, UK Secretary of State for Defence / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] International attention is focused on the fact that the UK Secretary of Defense had a 10-minute video call with a person impersonating the Prime Minister of Ukraine. Some speculate that Russia might be behind this impersonator.

Ben Wallace, the UK Secretary of Defense, stated on his Twitter account on the 17th (local time), "Today, a scammer pretending to be Denys Shmyhal, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, tried to call me," adding, "He asked several questions intended to create a false impression, but I found it suspicious and ended the call."

Although the identity of those behind the impersonator posing as Prime Minister Shmyhal has not yet been revealed, Secretary Wallace suggested the possibility of a connection to Russia.

He criticized, "No fake information, distortion, or illicit political operation by Russia can divert attention from Russia's human rights violations and illegal invasion of Ukraine."

It is reported that this is not the first time an impersonator has approached a senior UK official.

Ben Wallace, UK Secretary of State for Defence, revealed that he had a video call with a person impersonating the Prime Minister of Ukraine / Photo by Twitter Capture

UK Home Secretary Priti Patel also pointed out on Twitter, "This happened to me earlier this week," calling it "a pathetic attempt to divide us during difficult times."

She emphasized, "We stand with Ukraine."

According to UK media such as BBC and Sky News, the impersonator was seen posing as the Prime Minister in front of the Ukrainian flag.

To increase credibility, the impersonator also sent emails to the UK government pretending to be a staff member of the Ukrainian Embassy in the UK and coordinated call schedules with the Ministry of Defense.

The conversation between Secretary Wallace and the impersonator took place via the video call program 'Microsoft Teams.'

The impersonator inquired about sensitive information such as NATO's current response situation, whether the UK would dispatch warships to the Black Sea, and Ukraine's stance on nuclear armament.

However, Secretary Wallace reportedly did not answer questions involving sensitive matters or inappropriate implications.

Additionally, Secretary Wallace immediately ordered an investigation into the impersonator following the call.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.